“We should inherit our husbands land,” women demand changes to restrictive land laws

Women are demanding changes to laws and policies that restrict their rights to land ownership.

The current land policy passes on the land of a deceased man to his family and denies his wife the right to own the property.

The Chairperson of the Greater Equatoria Land Alliance, Lorna James Elia, says the law disadvantages single mothers. She also says high taxes are limiting women from acquiring land.

The comments came up during a consultation in Juba on the South Sudan Land policy organised by the ‘Voice for Change’ civil society group.

Another suggestion that came up was the clear identification of grazing and agriculture land to avoid disputes mainly between farmers and pastoralist communities.

The one-day forum was attended by representatives from regional land alliances.

The proposals raised will be presented to the Transitional National Legislative Assembly for inclusion in the Land Policy act.

Lorna James Elia spoke to Sworo Charles Elisha in this interview.